9:29 AM - (23rd August 2026, Schelvia City, City's Heart, Asterick Unity Education (A.U.E), Fourth Floor, Elevator)
Still stuck…
Yoshi slumped against the wall of the elevator, sitting casually on the floor in the complete darkness. The only illumination came from the glowing purple lights of the mech rings on his wrist, ankle, and neck—his favorite color. He hadn't bothered to change the customizable settings for the rings in a while.
Don't want to trouble the other members because of me…
"…haaaaaaa~!!… Damn it, what's wrong with today?!... Mother came up in a dream, 3AA73 wants to follow me to the East Gate, and now… a damn lockdown. Well, I'm successfully locked in this elevator."
"…Is this what they call karma?"
Yoshi groaned aloud, his voice filled with frustration as he wondered when the power would come back on so he could leave the elevator.
Though, truthfully, he could escape easily. But…
"…Sigh… and no one's even searching for me. Wow, I guess…"
He muttered sarcastically to himself. Slowly, he pushed himself up, leaning against the elevator wall. His dull purple eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, staring at the closed elevator doors. His hand rested on his side.
"…I could slash the door open, but I already promised Artoria not to break any unnecessary facilities... But, this? This counts as necessary, doesn't it?"
Yoshi muttered softly, thinking. He approached the elevator door and kicked it gently, testing if it was loose enough for him to force it open without using his blade.
The door didn't budge.
He stepped back, his thoughts racing, then let out a deep sigh. His gaze never left the door. He knew it was time for another "necessary" break of school facilities.
Taking two steps back, his back pressed against the elevator wall, he focused his mind.
A gauntlet sword materialized in his right hand with a pulse of violet light, the intricate lines wrapping around the gauntlet, blending with the dark textures of the weapon. He named it 'Kai.' The blade's sharp tip gleamed, pulsing with violet energy as it glimmered in the darkness of the elevator.
"…Sigh… Gotta do what I have to… I'll catch the lectures later…"
He muttered to himself before stepping forward and raising his right arm high.
In a swift motion, he slashed down from right to left. The door, the elevator wall, and the push button were all cleaved in one strike. The elevator door remained intact as he stepped forward, preparing to kick it open. As he did, metal debris floated in the air.
Stepping out into the hallway, he glanced around at the now purple-lit corridor.
'Kai' dematerialized as he walked down the unfamiliar hallway, glancing at the shut windows of classrooms and doors.
"…What floor am I on right now?"
He questioned softly to himself, his hand resting in his pocket. As he walked, he stopped abruptly. Something caught his eye, and he turned to face it. A closed classroom door. But that wasn't what had drawn his attention.
It was what was above the door: the classroom name displayed on the pixelated screen.
(CLASSROOM '7-A↑')
"…Seven… A… Arrow? What's that supposed to mean? And seven? This must be—"
He trailed off, glancing around the hallway. His eyes now darted toward the other pixelated screens above the classroom doors.
"First floor…"
He muttered, answering himself.
"…I should take the emergency stairs. But I've never been to this first floor before…"
---
...At the same time...
9:56 AM - (Schelvia City, City's Heart, Outskirts of the City's Heart, Mirage District, East Gate)
The atmosphere was tense. Drones hovered in the skies, patrolling the area. The buildings around the district stood empty, the students evacuated to their designated assembly points.
A girl stood on one of the rooftops, scanning the area for any students who might have been left behind or who had gotten lost. A drill lance was gripped firmly in her hand, its faint blue glow pulsing in time with the trail lines formed from her own Vitreous.
"…That 'thing' slipped under our radar. Now it's entered the Mirage District. What do you think it is, Elara?"
A soft voice came from behind her. A fellow student council member approached her side, her brown eyes glancing toward Elara, seeking reassurance.
"…I don't know, Selene. But one thing's for sure—it's not a corrupted robot or a ZESTROPEDIAN. Our radar didn't pick up any of their signature materials. This could bring either a better or worse outcome, but for now, we stay on guard. We don't know what this thing is capable of…"
Elara's voice was steady but laced with the worry she tried to conceal about her comrades.
Elara Sinclaire, ranked 17th in the Student Council, and her fellow council member, Selene Nightfall, ranked 20th, had been left behind in the Mirage District to secure the area for evacuating students. Meanwhile, the rest of the student council members posted in the district were on the frontlines, preparing to confront this 'thing.'
"…What did the report say this 'thing' actually did, Elara?"
Selene asked softly, her voice barely audible, still focused on Elara, though she glanced at the cityscape in front of them.
"…The report says this 'thing' kept barraging the city streets, jumping across buildings and destroying drones as it passed by. The drones couldn't get clear footage of it. But there's one clue we picked up from one of our drones before it lost contact. The 'thing' has long, black, silky hair. Yeah, I know it sounds ridiculous, but it used a Lynx Amr. It's clear white with pulse lines, like our Vitreous weapons. We zoomed in on the frame and saw its eyes under the cloak. They were violet."
"So, it's human?" Selene asked sharply, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Might be. But no one can move that fast or independently, except the top 9 ranked in the Student Council…" Elara's tone was cautious but certain.
She cleared her throat softly before sighing, tightening her grip on the drill lance. The faint blue glow of the pulse line began to flicker faster, mirroring the growing unease inside her.
Selene went silent, sensing Elara's growing tension. She turned slightly but stayed near Elara, glancing at the cloudless sky of the summer day. It felt oddly colder now. She exhaled, seeing a mist come out with her breath. Then, something hit her. Her eyes widened slightly, and she turned to face Elara.
"Elara!" She called out, her voice raised with concern.
"What?" Elara glanced back over her shoulder, her expression one of mild disinterest.
"…You said this figure has violet eyes and black, silky hair… and it's capable of matching the top 9 ranked, right?"
"What are you talking about now?" Elara replied with a low groan, rolling her eyes. "Yes, I said that. And that's what we saw in the report."
"…Y'know, this 'thing' could be the 'Noir Prince,' right?"
Selene asked, her tone guarded, her eyes locked on Elara's.
For a moment, Elara's eyes widened. Then, they narrowed, dismissing the thought.
"…First of all, the 'Noir Prince' was posted in the city's heart with the other top 9s. How could he be outside, coming through the East Gate and destroying the city's facilities? And second, I said 'long black silky hair.' The 'Noir Prince' doesn't…"
Selene took a deep breath of relief, laughing sheepishly. She looked away, embarrassed for missing the details of the report.
"I hadn't thought of that… silly me… You're right, 'Noir' doesn't have long hair. Guess this figure must be someone else… someone who could copy the 'Noir Prince.'"
"…Copy?" Elara repeated slowly, her voice laced with uncertainty. The word 'copy' echoed in her mind, stirring a hidden worry.
She shook it off, dismissing it as a mere thought. Still, something about the possibility unsettled her. What if it was true? But no… this figure couldn't have the same attributes as the 'Noir Prince'—the long hair was a dealbreaker, wasn't it?
"Yeah, it can't be…" Elara muttered to herself, closing her eyes for a brief moment. She thought back to the frame of the mysterious figure and compared it to the 'Noir Prince.' Despite her reassurances, there was something undeniably similar about the two. The same choice of weapon, the Lynx Amr. And those violet eyes…
"...Silly me... 'Noir Prince' is a guy, not a 'Noir Princess'..."
Selene chuckled softly, oblivious to Elara's deeper thoughts.
"…Princess?"
That word sent a chill through Elara's spine, though she couldn't understand why. If it was true, then...
This is bad...
Elara's mind raced as the doubt began to take root. Something wasn't right.